Energy Department Announces Up to $2 Million to Collect Data from Hydrogen Fueling Stations and Demonstrate Innovations in Hydrogen Infrastructure Technologies

March 13, 2012

As part of President Obama's all-of-the-above energy strategy to reduce America's reliance on foreign oil, the Energy Department today announced up to $2 million available this year to collect and analyze performance data for hydrogen fueling stations and advanced refueling components. By collecting data from advanced hydrogen fueling stations, the Energy Department will track the performance and technical progress of innovative refueling systems operating in real-world environments to find ways to lower costs and improve operation. This funding is part of the department's commitment to U.S. leadership in advanced hydrogen and fuel cell research that aims to help industry bring hydrogen technologies into the mainstream market at lower cost, and provide American families and businesses with new choices for vehicles that do not rely on gasoline.

Many automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have announced production plans for fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) for retail sale or lease as early as 2015 in the United States and other countries, and some states are investing in hydrogen fuel infrastructure to accommodate these vehicles. The funding announced today will support projects to monitor the performance of multiple hydrogen fueling stations and advanced components for up to five years to demonstrate technology innovations, gauge progress toward technical targets, and help identify and focus future research and development efforts. The data and resulting analyses from this initiative will also help hydrogen fueling equipment manufacturers improve the designs of existing systems to optimize performance and test new system components.

The department seeks applicants to this funding opportunity to test new refueling component technologies that could substantially reduce the cost of hydrogen. These include, but are not limited to, advanced compressor designs that could reduce the number or size of compressors required at commercial refueling sites; hydrogen delivery tanks with higher capacity and optimal tank pressure—which could reduce the need for compressors and the frequency of deliveries at refueling sites; and advanced electrolyzers that can produce hydrogen at higher pressures, potentially lowering the cost of hydrogen by reducing the amount of post-production compression required.

As part of a planned two-year initiative, the Energy Department will make up to $2 million available in fiscal year 2012. The department plans to make an additional request for $2.2 million to Congress next year to support these innovative hydrogen fueling technologies. For more information, including application requirements and instructions, please visit the Funding Opportunity Exchange website. Responses are due by Friday, May 11.